One Central Coast city is making a statement on climate change, asking the federal government to get working on a plan for reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Council members voted unanimously late Tuesday night in favor of a resolution by the Citizens' Climate Lobby (CCL).
It calls on the federal government to pass legislation for a Carbon Fee and Dividend Program, which the CCL says will help protect the economy and the climate.
The program would place a rising fee on fossil fuels, with revenue generated used to help legal residents pay for increased costs for renewable energy.
The group said Wednesday that San Luis Obispo is now among only three cities in the state and the only one on the Central Coast urging Congress and the President to pass such a resolution.
Sandy Simon, liaison for the CCL San Luis Obispo Chapter, said this week's vote will send a clear message.
"I think that they were very forward-thinking in their strong stand for the environment, which is impacting San Luis Obispo in particular," she said.
The CCL is a non-profit, non-partisan organization which advocates for national policies to combat climate change.
Simon said she hopes the City Council's decision will encourage other local governments to do the same.
"We would like the Board of Supervisors and any of the other cities on the Central Coast that are interested in passing this resolution to do so," she said.
Simon said her organization's proposal is part of a developing bipartisan movement on climate change.
